Systems and methods for UAV path planning and control

Abstract

A method for determining a target direction for a movable object includes providing an image on a computer-implemented display, obtaining a position of a selected point on the image in response to a user selecting the point on the image, and determining the target direction based on the position of the selected point on the image.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for determining a target direction for a movable object, comprising:
 providing an image on a computer-implemented display; 
 converting a set of screen coordinates of a selected point into a set of image coordinates in an image coordinate system to obtain a position of the selected point on the image in response to a user selecting the point on the computer-implemented display; 
 determining a vector of the target direction in the image coordinate system based on the position of the selected point on the image; 
 converting the vector of the target direction in the image coordinate system to a vector of the target direction in a camera coordinate system of an imaging device carried by the movable object and capturing the image; 
 collecting data from one or more sensors of the movable object to obtain a translation matrix; 
 converting, through the translation matrix, the vector of the target direction in the camera coordinate system into a vector of the target direction in a world coordinate system in which the movable object moves; and 
 controlling the movable object based on the vector of the target direction in the world coordinate system. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 effecting movement of the movable object, based on the vector of the target direction in the world coordinate system, from a reference point. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein effecting the movement of the movable object includes instructing the movable object to move, based on the vector of the target direction in the world coordinate system, in a substantially linear manner. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 generating a motion path for the movable object from an initial position to the reference point, based on one or more motion characteristics of the movable object at the initial position and the reference point. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 effecting the movement of the movable object along the motion path between the initial position and the reference point. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the motion path is represented by a function of the initial position, the reference point, and the one or more motion characteristics of the movable object at the initial position and the reference point. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-implemented interface is a touch-screen device. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 projecting the vector of the target direction as a graphical element onto the image in the computer-implemented display. 
 
     
     
       9. An apparatus for determining a target direction for a movable object, the apparatus comprising one or more processors that are, individually or collectively, configured to:
 provide an image on a computer-implemented display; 
 convert a set of screen coordinates of a selected point into a set of image coordinates in an image coordinate system to obtain a position of the selected point on the image in response to a user selecting the point on the computer-implemented display; 
 determine a vector of the target direction in the image coordinate system based on the position of the selected point on the image; 
 convert the vector of the target direction in the image coordinate system to a vector of the target direction in a camera coordinate system of an imaging device carried by the movable object and capturing the image; 
 collect data from one or more sensors of the movable object to obtain a translation matrix; 
 convert, through the translation matrix, the vector of the target direction in the camera coordinate system into a vector of the target direction in a world coordinate system in which the movable object moves; and 
 control the movable object based on the vector of the target direction in the world coordinate system. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:
 effect movement of the movable object, based on the vector of the target direction in the world coordinate system, from a reference point. 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:
 instruct the movable object to move, based on the vector of the target direction in the world coordinate system, in a substantially linear manner. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:
 generate a motion path for the movable object from an initial position to the reference point, based on one or more motion characteristics of the movable object at the initial position and the reference point. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:
 effect the movement of the movable object along the motion path between the initial position and the reference point. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:
 instruct the movable object to move along the motion path in a substantially curvilinear manner. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the motion path is represented by a function of the initial position, the reference point, and the one or more motion characteristics of the movable object at the initial position and the reference point. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the computer-implemented interface is a touch-screen device. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:
 normalizing the set of image coordinates. 
 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the vector of the target direction is determined based on the normalized set of image coordinates. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further, individually or collectively, configured to:
 project the vector of the target direction as a graphical element onto the image in the computer-implemented display. 
 
     
     
       20. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system comprising:
 an apparatus operable to control the UAV, the apparatus comprising one or more processors that are, individually or collectively, configured to:
 provide an image on a computer-implemented display; 
 convert a set of screen coordinates of a selected point into a set of image coordinates in an image coordinate system to obtain a position of the selected point on the image in response to a user selecting the point on the computer-implemented display; 
 determine a vector of the target direction in the image coordinate system based on the position of the selected point on the image; 
 convert the vector of the target direction in the image coordinate system to a vector of the target direction in a camera coordinate system of an imaging device carried by the UAV and capturing the image; 
 collect data from one or more sensors of the UAV to obtain a translation matrix; 
 convert, through the translation matrix, the vector of the target direction in the camera coordinate system into a vector of the target direction in a world coordinate system in which the UAV moves; and 
 control the UAV based on the vector of the target direction in the world coordinate system.